French President François Hollande called on the Euro zone on Tuesday to develop an exchange rate policy to help protect the common currency from “irrational movements”. His comments came amid growing concern that the Euro, now trading around 1.35 to the US dollar, is too strong and could undermine the country’s exporters and hence wider economic growth.
A major investigation involving Europol and police teams from 13 European countries has uncovered an extensive criminal network involved in widespread football match-fixing. A total of 425 match officials, club officials, players, and serious criminals, from more than 15 countries, are suspected of being involved in attempts to fix more than 380 professional football matches.
A leading Italian newspaper has published a very critical piece on Argentina, its honesty and what it describes as the succession of ‘creative lies’ in the country’s recent history going back to the myth about Evita Peron, the blood thirsty generals, Maradona, Carlos Menem one peso/one dollar, Cristina Kirchner and the latest the clash with the IMF over manipulation of official inflation and GDP stats.
Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Monday that he continues ‘open’ to a meeting with his peer from Argentina, Hector Timerman, although he insisted that if the talks refer to Falklands’ issues, representatives from the Islands should be present.
Argentina without the Malvinas Islands is an “incomplete country”, and the right to self determination is a ‘flag’ Argentina “will never allow to be used by whom were the basis of the largest empire history has recorded”, said Minister Hector Timerman on his arrival on Monday to London.
Foreign minister Hector Timerman is in London and has reiterated his request and willingness to hold a bilateral meeting with Foreign Secretary William Hague, “the two alone, to address numerous issues of the bilateral and multilateral agenda”, says a letter from Argentine Ambassador Alicia Castro dated February 4 addressed to the Foreign Office and made public in Buenos Aires.
The Foreign Office has reiterated its concern about the Argentine’s government behaviour towards the Falkland Islanders and considers it ‘right and proper’ that they should be involved in the part of those meetings with Argentina that concern the Islands.
Argentine Foreign minister Hector Timerman begins Monday a busy ‘Malvinas’ week in London with meetings scheduled in Parliament and later at the embassy with representatives from 18 different European groups that support UK/Argentina dialogue on the Falklands’ sovereignty
The British government’s decision to deny a meeting between UK and Argentina foreign ministers is proof of “weakness” and evidence of “the internal crisis situation” in the ruling coalition led by Prime Minister David Cameron, said Argentine Foreign minister Hector Timerman.
Argentina has made its final written arguments ahead of a February 27 US courtroom showdown against holdout bondholders demanding full payment of capital plus interests for sovereign debt from the default of more than a decade ago.